How to Make a Garland With Real Greenery

I’ve always been one to decorate with “real” holiday greenery whenever and wherever I could. The smell is unbeatable, and the dark green foliage is simply unmatched. Once you go real, you’ll never be able to go back to fake! Keep reading to learn how I make my REAL garlands for Christmas.

Shop-For List:

-Live Evergreens (Eucalyptus, Pine cuttings, etc. You can cut these from a live tree in your yard)

Step #1: Securely tie the end of your floral wire to the end of the rustic wire. Make sure it is securely fastened before moving on, as this will impact the end piece of your project.

Step #2: Gather a handful of greenery, all facing one direction, and place this directly in the middle of your thick rustic wire. It doesn’t have to be fully covered, but it should be pretty lush. Tie this to the rustic wire with your floral wire. DO NOT CUT the floral wire at any point when wrapping wire. The wire is what keeps this together.

Step #3: Next, take another handful of greenery (again, all facing one direction) and string it slightly above your last one. It’s important to eyeball this, because everyones vision is different! Space it as far apart as you see fit! Repeat this to cover the length of your garland.

Step #4: Once you are at the end of the garland, take the last greenery bundle and tie it on, facing the opposite direction. Secure it end to end, and cut your floral wire to make it complete!

Step #5: Now that your piece is complete, look over it with a keen eye to be sure that no needles are out of place, or any wire exposed. Fill in these holes with a few more bundles of greenery.

Step #6 (optional): If interested, deck out your garland with berries, pinecones, or anything else! It’s best to plan this ahead of time, because it is easier to secure berries and other decor items with the bundles of pine needles, rather than adding them at the last minute.